PARIS, May 17 (Xinhuanet) -- A 31-year-old Norwegian man died late Monday in an unauthorized parachute jump from the second level of the 324-meter Eiffel Tower, French TF1 television reported on Tuesday.

    Three Norwegians were attempting to make an advertisement film at the tower, police were quoted as saying.

    One of them jumped by parachute from the second level, 115 meters high, but he failed to clear the first level of the iron structure and died instantly on impact, said the police, which have opened an inquiry into the accident.

    The first accident of parachute jump from the tower dated on Feb. 4, 1912, when Franz Reichelt died in the jump from the first level and his five-second jump was filmed.

    A spokesman for the Eiffel Tower said the famous Paris landmark does not close until midnight, so public's access was allowed when the deadly jump occurred.

    There are rare accidents caused by parachute or delta-wing jumps from the Eiffel Tower, and the registered dead at the landmark are generally hopeless people, said the spokesman. Enditem